pillman



April 14, 1964 A. H. PILLMAN DOUBLE DRUM HOISTS Filed March 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ @vada/Fys United States Patent Olliee 3,128,991 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,128,991 DOUBLE DRUM HISTS Arthur Henry Pillman, Primrose Hill, Germiston, 'Transvaal, Republic of South Africa (P.0. Box 67, Clevelana, Janse/aal, Republic of South Africa) Filed Mar. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 13,920 4 Claims. (Cl. 2S4-185) This invention relates to double drum hoists particularly scraper hoists specially constructed for use in mines. It is usual in mining operations to move broken rock 1n many parts of the mine with the use of Scrapers operated by double drum hoists. The hoists are usually powered by electricity.

For satisfactory service in a mine the hoist must be powerful and robust to meet the rough mining conditions consequently they consist of an assembly of pieces of equipment which should be easily disassembled for transport and for placing in the awkward positions encountered in mining. At the same time the various parts of the hoist should be capable of comparatively easy reassembly in conned spaces. Furthermore the working parts of the hoist should be protected from dirt and be capable of adequate lubrication.

Due to the wandering of the scraper and to the pull coming first on one drum and then on the other, the drum shaft is liable to be submitted to serious stresses and the pedestals supporting the drums and driving gear are liable to be displaced. Furthermore, it is desirable for there to be facilities for positioning the rope on the drums when pulling from unusual angles and also an arrangement for coiling or uncoiling the rope on the drums manually.

It is the object of this invention to produce a hoist which will adequately meet these exacting requirements.

ln accordance with this invention a rope hoist comprises in combination a rigid base, a pair of rope drums, a shaft on which the drums are freely rotatable, a pair of pedestals supporting said shaft and means including said shaft for holding the pedestals in proper spaced relation to one another, a driving motor, a single driving shaft for the two drums, chains of gears between the driving shaft and the drums and a clutch between each drum and its driving gear.

The invention further provides for the drums to be freely rotatable on the driving shaft, for the bearings for the shaft to be retained in housings adapted to be held in an axial position on the shaft and fixed to the respective wall of each pedestal to retain the spaced relationship between said pedestals.

The invention also provides for the shaft carrying the drums to be non-rotatable, to be hollow with anges at the ends adapted to be attached to the pedestals and for the driving shaft to be rotatably mounted in the hollow shaft.

The invention in addition provides for the shaft carrying the clutch and gear to the drum to be rotatable manually and for the rope to the drums to pass through rotatable funnel shaped guides.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which are both plan views of the hoist partly in section.

FIG. l shows the hoist with the drums freely rotatable on the driving shaft for the drums, and

FlG. 2 shows a hoist somewhat similar to FIG. l but with the driving drums freely rotatable on a fixed hollow shaft and with a separate driving shaft rotatable therein.

The hoist can be broken down for transport and subsequent erection into the following main parts, the base 11, the electric motor 12, the two pedestals acting as gear boxes 13, 14 and the pair of drums 15, 16.

Each end of the double drum hoist is a mirror image of the other and a description of the gearing and clutch on the one side will serve as a description of the other.

In FIG, 1 the drums 15, 16 are freely rotatable on the central driving shaft 17.

At each end of the shaft 17 is fixed a gear wheel 18 one of which, as shown, is driven by the driving pinion 19 on the motor shaft 20.

The motor 12 is attached to the box 13 or 14 that is on the side of the hoist where there is more room in the mine or to which it is more easily attached. The other gear box 14 will be closed by a plate 21 in place of the motor 12.

It should be noted that in FlG. l, to facilitate the disassembly of the different parts of the hoist the driving gears 18 on the shaft 17 are capable of passing through the wall 22 of the pedestals forming the boxes 13 and 14, that is where they provide the housing 23 for the main bearings 24 for the shaft 17.

The pedestals 13, 14, acting as gear boxes, must not become displaced during the operation of the hoist. As an additional means for holding them in properly spaced relation to each other the inner part of the housings 23 are made to bear against shoulders 25 on the shaft 17. On the shaft 17 are secured collars 26 which extend under the bearings 24 and against the inside of the housing 23. This arrangement shows one method for holding the housing 23 rotatable on the shaft 17 but in a fixed axial position. Flanges 27 on the housings 23 are clamped to the pedestal by set screws 28. This arrangement serves to clamp both pedestals 13 and 14 to the shaft 17 and thus assists in holding these pedestals in place.

These pedestals 13, 14 not only form gear boxes but act as housings for the clutch assemblies 29 and also may act as oil sumps for lubricating the gears.

One each end of the hoist the gear wheel 18 on the central shaft 17 is constantly in mesh with the secondary gear wheel 30 of the clutch assembly 29. The gear 'wheel 3h rotates `on a sleeve bearing 3:1 through which a llay shaft 32 rotatably passes. On the end of lay shaft 32 is carried a driving pinion 33 while centrally it carries the hub 34 for the clutch. The lay shaft 32 is carried in bearings 35 mounted in the walls of the gear boxes or pedestals 13 or 14. The driving pinion 33 on the lay shaft 32 engages with and is adapted to drive an internally toothed ring 36 welded to and projecting from the outside cheek 37 of each drum of the hoist.

The clutch of multiple plates 3S has a fork 39 on a shaft lid. A quick screw thread 41 is used which on turning slides the secondary gear wheel 30, which internally carries one series of clutch plates 38, to engage the series of plates carried by the hub 34, which latter is attached to the lay shaft 32. In this manner either the drum 15 or 16 is driven by the secondary gear 33 when directly clutched in for that purpose.

With the interconnection through the central shaft 17 of the `gears 18 to the drums 15 and 16 as above described, the clutch assembly 29 on the one drum may be used as a brake for the other drum.

The lay shaft 32 with the secondary gear 33 are so mounted in the pedestal gear box 13 or 14 that when necessary the clutch assembly 29 and the gear 33 may be removed as one unit without disturbing any other part of the hoist.

The internally toothed ring gear 36 fastened to `and extending outwardly from the cheeks 37 of the drums presents an outer smooth surface 42 which could carry some coils of any wild rope without damage.

A wild rope which has run off a drum is liable to get between the drums 15, 16. According to this invention amasar the space 43 between the drums 15, 16 is substantially filled by rings 44 fastened to the adjacent faces of the cheeks of the drums 15, 16. These rings 44 practically close the gap 43 between the drums 15, 16 while leaving the drums interchangeable.

The bearings 4S, 46 for the drums on the central shaft 17 are lubricated from the oil sump or other lubricator through the space around sleeve 47 over the central shaft 17 at the centre of each drum 15, 16. In some cases stauffer lubricators 48 may be fixed at the ends of the shaft 17 to serve the lubrication passages 49 shown by dotted lines.

Under certain circumstances it may be advantageous to make use of two motors 12 on the one hoist. Each would be connected through a throw over switch to prevent both being connected to run at the same time. With this `arrangement both drums 15, 16 could be run separately from either motor and with suitable gearing at different speeds.

In FIG. 2 the drums 15, 16 are mounted to rotate on a fixed hollow shaft 50. This shaft 50 has flanges 51 at each end which are securely fastened to their respective pedestals 13, 14. This arrangement holds the pedestals 13, 14 in fixed space relationship to one another. The driving shaft 17 is mounted to rotate in the hollow of shaft 50.

In FIG. 2 is shown an extension of the lay shaft 32 and its end 52 has a releasable coupling 53 for a handle 54. By the use of handle 54 the respective drum can be rotated very easily manually and this is useful when the rope must be coiled onto or uncoiled from the drum.

In FIG. 2 also is shown the rope funnels S5, each is mounted on a suitable bracket attached to the base plate 11 as shown at 56. The funnels 55 are mounted so that in case of wear they may be rotated and clamped by set screws `57 so that the wear from the rope passing through a funnel 55 may be evenly distributed round its inner surface. The internal surface may have hard renewable wearing pads 58.

Part of a stay 59 of channel iron is shown in FIG. 2, this is fastened at each end to the tops of the pedestals 13, 14 and assists in anchoring them securely in place. The structure in which the drums 15, 16 rotate thus consists of the two pedestals 13, 14 as uprights with the base 11 of the hoist tying their feet, the driving or hollow shaft holding them together centrally and their tops tied by the stay 59. This forms a very strong and rigid structure.

This invention provides a double drum hoist in which there are no brakes and no exposed clutches or gears. All casings are furnished with adequate oil seals some of which are designated in the drawings at 60.

The clutch assemblies 29 for each drum 15, 16 are independent and each is mounted on the secondary gear 4 3ft. The clutches are controlled by levers 61 and in running the hoist the one clutch may be used as a brake for the free drum.

The double drum hoist according to this invention has the minimum of parts, is easily assembled and disassembled into units which are easily transportable and is therefore particularly suitable for use under mining conditions.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A double drum rope hoist comprising in combination a rigid base, a driving shaft on Iwhich both drums are supported and are mounted to be freely rotatable, a pair of identical pedestals removably mounted on said base, Iand held in spaced relation to one another by said driving shaft, a set of driving gear and clutch mechanism Vfor each drum and each set a mirror copy of the other,

and a driving motor selectably attached to either pedestal in driving engagement kwith the corresponding set of driving gear and clutch mechanism.

2. A rope hoist as claimed in claim 1 in which the drums are freely rotatable on the driving shaft having bearings for the said driving shaft and housings for said bearings, means securing said housings in axial position on the shaft and to the adjacent pedestal.

3. A double drum rope hoist comprising in combination a rigid base, a driving shaft, a non-rotatable hollow shaft supported by said driving shaft and on which said drums are freely rotatable, a pair of identical pedestals removably mounted on said base, anges at the ends of the hollow shaft, means fastening said flanges to the ladjacent pedestals, bearings for the driving shaft in the bore of said hollow shaft, a set of driving gears and clutch mechanism for each drum and each set a mirror copy of the other and a driving motor selectably attached to either pedestal in driving engagement with the corresponding set of driving gear and clutch mechanism.

4. A double drum rope hoist as claimed in claim 3 in which said set of driving gear and clutch mechanism comprises for each drum, a clutch, a lay shaft for said clutch, gearing between the lay shaft and the driving shaft, a driving pinion on the lay shaft, a ring gear on the drum meshing with said driving pinion and means for turning said lay shaft manually.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 740,328 Steel Sept. 29, 1903 `1,574,086 Hansen Feb. 23, `1926 1,574,912 Lear Mar. 2, 1926 1,657,165 Lear Jan. 24, 1928 2,042,674 Martin .Tune 2, 1936 2,224,503 Kahlerth Dec. l0, 1940 2,601,970 Munnis July l, 1952 

1. A DOUBLE DRUM ROPE HOIST COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A RIGID BASE, A DRIVING SHAFT ON WHICH BOTH DRUMS ARE SUPPORTED AND ARE MOUNTED TO BE FREELY ROTATABLE, A PAIR OF IDENTICAL PEDESTALS REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, AND HELD IN SPACED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER BY SAID DRIVING SHAFT, A SET OF DRIVING GEAR AND CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR EACH DRUM AND EACH SET A MIRROR COPY OF THE OTHER, AND A DRIVING MOTOR SELECTABLY ATTACHED TO EITHER PEDESTAL IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING SET OF DRIVING GEAR AND CLUTCH MECHANISM. 